Malaise live @ Death Disco – 12.9.2014

15Sep

(By Fondas SumerSon)

Malaise has always been one of my all time favorite gothic rock bands. They are the very first Scandinavian band that I ever listened to over 15 years ago and I instantly became addicted to their tunes for. I , as part of the Malaise Greek Street Team, had the pleasure of watching them perform live in Gothenburg (2009) and Malmo (2013), so I had witnessed the Malaise live-experience, first hand. That’s why I had been trying for a long time, to get the guys in contact with the concert organizers in Athens, so that Greek Goths would get the chance to see them perform live.

Finally, Leo Skiadas decided to give it a try and booked them for their first ever gig in Greece. The addition of Come with Reverse as the opening act, made this event even more special in every aspect.

So the most anticipated Goth Rock gig of the last years, finally took place at Death Disco, last Friday. Without any exaggeration, it was the first time that I saw Death Disco so full of people in a Goth Rock gig. Over 130 people had gathered to witness this big music event and they were all in for a treat!

At 22:00 o’clock, Come With Reverse came on stage. This was their third appearance in front of the Athenian audience, since their first gig with Inkubus Sukkubus back in 2012 and their own gig next year. People really waited for their return impatiently, looking forward to the band’s new songs.
The crowd’s reaction after each song, made them feel like they were not just an opening act. The guys were in high spirits, performing in a very intense and passionate way that left a lot of people speechless. I will never stop saying that the band’s singer is one of the most charismatic vocalists of the current goth/dark wave scene. They played a 50 min. show, including mainly songs from their forthcoming album, without neglecting hits like “Mandolism” or “Evolution of Broken minds” from their debut ep.

Their new album, “Composing Serenity” will be out next year, so be alert.

Their exact setlist:

A living moment Sullen look Decay Mandolism Evolution Lust pace Retour an dich All that love My way (Frank Sinatra cover) Crawling in a wire Waiting for the sunsets

After a small break, the lights went out and a symphonic melody and a lot of smoke filled the club. Juho, Fredrik and Martin, one by one, appeared on stage and the whole club started shouting enthusiastically. The “goth-rock-panic” was about to begin. “Bitter Waters” was the opening track and the fans were quickly driven into a moshing frenzy!

The band was performing so vividly, that Juho broke the strings of his guitar, after the very first song they played. After a 10 min break because of this technical problem, Malaise returned on stage and “Walking through the Wonderland” from their legendary “52 Ways to Die” album was the follow up: powerful electronic beats mixed with heavy guitars made the entire club dance like hell once again.

Martin’s voice is exactly the same after all these years. He is such a great singer and frontman and he is one of the main reasons Malaise are such a unique band. Juho and Fredrik are an amazing guitar duo too. Their energy on stage, as well as their flawless playing, lead Malaise to a higher level. The guys played for 1 hour and 10 min., performing songs from all of their excellent releases, reminding everyone why this band is the greatest electro-goth act of all times.

Special mention needs to be made to the performance of their mega hit “Wait for the Ghost”, during which The Malaise Greek street team raised a tower. The band seemed to enjoy this as much as the fans. This was definitely one of the best and most intense goth gigs ever. It was worth the wait, no doubt.

Their exact setlist:

IntroBitter Waters Walking Through the Wonderland Paradox Something Else Separation Gods of War No Confusion Wait for the Ghost Hollow Dream We are Colliders Assimilate (Skinny Puppy cover)

After the gig, Malaise stayed at the aftershow party, talked with their fans, signed cds and even danced with us until the early morning light… Many thanks to the daring Leo Skiadas for making one of our everlasting dreams come true, by bringing Malaise in Athens.
Until the next time…. WE ARE COLLIDERS !

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